Narrowing the field on tractor choice (need help with final contestants)

[pharmvet]

A few months ago, I posted here requesting suggestions for a tractor. You guys gave me lots of good information. After sifting through all the information and doing some more reading, thinking, and talking with other tractor enthusiasts, farmers, ranchers etc, I have come to the conslusion that the perfect tractor for "my" needs is the Ford / New Holland 7610 4x4 open cab.

Here are a few questions that will help me with the final decision.
1) How does the 7810 compare?

2) Someone told me that the 5610, 6610, 7610 were basically the same tractor (frame size and motor) but differed only in HP due to entine tuning. Is this really true, because to me it sounds like BS??

 

[art]

That is no BS!

 

[Grrrr]

Ford 7610 is 4 cylinder, 7810 is 6 cylinder. Thats the main difference.

Both are good tractors, personally I'd prefer a 7810.

Both are fairly horrible on loaders, unless you have a hydraulic leg to operate the clutch - well you will need one after trying to use one a loader for a few years.

Hydraulics generally good, cabbed ones in the UK all get very rusty but that may not be the case for you.

Gearbox is also awful for loader work, no shuttle so you can only really only use one gear for loading. Hopeless for loading bales in a field or similar.

Six cylinder 7810 has a longer wheelbase so is a very stable tractor, good cultivations tractor in it's day.

Yes, I think they are all the same size frame. I think the 5610 has about 66 horses at the PTO going up to about 100 on the 7610, curiously the 7810 has no more horses, but is 6 cylinder.

The 7810 will drink a lot of fuel compared to the 7610, being a 6 cylinder.

Basically a very good sound tractor, easy to work on and they pull like ****. Just don't put one on a loader